


I Promise

by Trixie (goldenzingy46)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Attacked Ginny Weasley, F/M, Oneshot, Promises, Unbreakable Vows (ish)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-13
Updated: 2019-09-13
Packaged: 2020-10-17 20:27:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20627051
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goldenzingy46/pseuds/Trixie
Summary: Her fragile expression shattered him."Harry," she breathed. "Promise me something."He was so glad to hear her speaking he would have agreed to anything. He told her as much. "Anything, Gin." Harry whispered. "Anything at all."She looked him dead in the eye and he supressed a shiver. "Promise me I'll be safe."Harry relaxed - that he could do."I promise.""I'll hold you to that."





	I Promise

**Author's Note:**

> Not my best piece of writing, I know. *grimaces*

Harry Potter was many things: a hero, a savior, a parselmouth, a murderer, the Boy-Who-Lived, engaged to Ginny Weasley, an auror... but he wasn't someone ready to see his fiancee completely crushed.

He still remembered the day it happened. It was so vivid in his mind, the frantic Floo call from Ron, saying that Ginny had been attacked by rogue Death Eaters. He remembered how she hadn't spoken or looked anyone in the eyes since. He remembered how his bright, cheerful, _strong_ Ginny had faded away to as blank as a grey wall. He barely recognized her every time he saw her; lank, untreated hair, unaturally thin, haunted eyes. Nothing would make her speak.

Until now.

Her fragile expression shattered him.   
"Harry," she breathed. "Promise me something."  
He was so glad to hear her speaking he would have agreed to anything. He told her as much. "Anything, Gin." Harry whispered. "Anything at all."  
She looked him dead in the eye and he supressed a shiver. "Promise me I'll be safe."  
Harry relaxed - that he could do.   
"I promise."  
"I'll hold you to that."

He didn't notice the faint rush of magic.

He barely thought anything of it anymore; Ginny was speaking, why would he? They were married now, she was bright, cheerful, and strong, just how he remembered her, she practically glowed. This was his Ginny alright.

The incident that would shape his life was 31st of October. Why did everything bad happen on Halloween?

The Death Eater attack.

They stormed into his home and he heard Ginny scream. Before he knew it, he was running upstairs, pulling Ginny into an embrace. 

"We'll be fine Gin, I know it."

"Am I safe?" The insecurity behind this question reminded him of his promise.

"No, Gin, but we will be." He said with a confidence he didn't feel. "Love you."

"I love you too Harry, but you promised."

"I'm sorry, it'll be over soon, don't you worry."

There was a small sound at the window, and Harry turned to look at it. WIth nothing obviously wrong, he dismissed it to continue looking after Ginny.

A muffled whimper caught his attention. "It was them," she whispered.

And Harry saw red.

These were the people that made Ginny that strange, silent person, that destroyed her so thoroughly, that almost ended her entirely. And they were going to die.

Today.

"I'll be back," he hissed, voice almost inaudible, eyes flashing wildly.

Ginny whimpered as he laid her gently on the sofa. "I'm scared."

"Me too Gin, but they won't get away with what they did." He strode out the door. "Love you."

He didn't realise there was no reply - not until he found his Death Eater free house and realised that they had been behind the window. Then we was running back up the stairs, but they were leaving, and Ginny was there, in a pool of blood as wide as a hippo.

"Gin!"

She choked, coughing up more blood. "Harry..."

"I love you so much Gin, be strong, Healers should be coming soon-"

"You promised." The wretched whisper she spoke in tore his heart to pieces.

The life in her eyes stuttered, and no frantic calls of _Gin, Gin, hold on, I know you can_ would bring it back as it died, the cold expression on her face chilling him to the bones.

He wondered, once, much, much later, if he was like she had been in the aftermath of the first attack. Everything seemed dull and worthless, faded.

He was sleeping on her grave again. Except this time, he was seventy, and it was mid-winter, and he woke up with ice inside his lungs, and he couldn't breathe, couldn't breathe, couldn't breathe couldn't breathe couldn't breathe couldn'tbreathe couldn'tbreathecouldn'tbreathecouldn't-

And Harry faded away from his faded, grey life forever.

**Author's Note:**

> Alternate ending available!


End file.
